The house that love built....

This is our home. We moved in on a Thanksgiving day just a few short weeks before finding out I was with child. I will never forget the way it felt. I had previously owned a home (thanks to my mother and her VERY wise financial advice.) but this was different. This was OUR first home. Let me show you around.

This is the entryway. Countless times, we have welcomed family and friends through this door. Some were here for parties. Some were here to stay a few days. Some came carrying food. Some came toting new babies. Some came to the rescue when times were so very tough. Some came to take the kids so Big Daddy and I could go on a date or paint this very foyer!! Whoever they were, they were welcomed with love.

This is the living room. This is where we spend so much time. Our big orange couch has been the backdrop for many games of "talent show" and story times. This is the room where Big Daddy and I sit on our computers looking for our new dream home! It's where the kids wait for everyone to show up on Christmas morning while we read and talk about the birth of Jesus Christ. Then they head downstairs and see what Santa brought!

Here is the fireplace. I remember the first night in our house. It was cold and I couldn't wait to flip that fireplace on! There we were, no TV, candle light cozy blanket and a fire...BEEEEP! BEEEP! BEEEEP! The smoke alarms started going off because the fireplace was new and it was burning off stuff. So we opened the windows and cuddled even closer! Then came babies which brought sweet little cheeks warmed by the fire after warm baths!

The kitchen table. This is where MANY craft projects took place, cookie dough rolled out and even a little person's name was carved. This is where we sit and talk about our day and share funny jokes while we share a meal. My kitchen paint color is Irish Moss from Valspar and it is my FAVORITE shade of green in our house! We now officially have 5 shades of green in our house, but this was my first and best pick.

Here is where I have cooked a few meals, heated up water for hot tea and cocoa, made kool-aid playdough and sweet tea. This is the oven where I have baked birthday cakes, Christmas cookies, muffins and so much more. NOTHING has been burned in this oven...I promise.

Who would have thought that the laundry room would be the most inspired room in the house? I was keeping up with THIS blog after a dear friend had asked us to pray for Stephanie Vest. This girl hated to do laundry! So she decided if she couldn't make herself love to do laundry, she would make the room something she loved! So she painted her laundry room pink and jazzed it up! I'm not a huge pink fan so I chose Tiffany & Co. blue, aka robin egg blue. I want silouettes of my kids in here, but haven't done them yet. I drew that inspiration from THIS blog by Miss Stephanie Nielson. I'm still looking for the perfect Stephanie Phillips inspired piece. I'll let you know when I find it. Big Daddy put these great cabinets up with the help of our neighbor Handy Manny. It was a surprise...needless to say, I loved it!

This is the hall bath. It is one of my favorite rooms in the house. It just makes me happy! The pictures of the kids underwater were taken by Jessica Lamb and are the perfect addition to a kids bathroom that also has to be shared with visitors. This is the scene of splash...I mean....bathtime each night. This is where I scrub my babies clean, bundle them up and send them screetching down the hall to Big Daddy.

Here is our bedroom. This is where we sleep. End of story. ;-)

This is Claire's room. The room I brought her home to from the hospital. I've logged many hours in this room feeding, rocking, singing, reading and playing. We sat in this room on the floor as she walked back and forth for the first time. Oh how I love this room.

Cohen's room is all boy. I didn't finish all of the projects I had planned because we decided to put the house on the market. This is where we put our little man when we brought him home from the hospital.

I just happened to have a pic of his "old" room before we repainted. (yes, that is baby lotion all over him and the bed. Thanks Claire.) I will have to say, I didn't spend a lot of time in his room. For one thing, Cohen slept all night before he was 2 months old. We also got a new recliner and DVR before he was born! So when I did get up with him, we went to the living room to watch Desperate Housewives or something equally as trashy. But I loved the way his room always smelled like him. (Largely due to the fact we chose to do away with the diaper pail and chucked those babies straight into the dumpster. Soy based formula is WICKED STINKY on the way out!)

This is the basement. The location for MANY parties and Christmas mornings. Here you can ALWAYS find toys strewn about and probably a stain or two on the floor!


The best part about the basement is that Big Daddy did most of it with his own two hands while I was pregnant with Claire! I timed that just right!

The playroom is filled with THESE shelves and of course...TOYS! This little art corner once hosted a grizzly scene involving 2 "Baby friends" and A LOT of blue, green and brown paint. I intend on posting more about that later...but that story deserves its very own post.



The bathroom in the basement is where THIS story took place.
Big Daddy's office where he runs to hide during conference calls!!
Here is my little sewing area. I am still looking for a good sewing table, so this will have to do for now! Honestly, we have been so busy, I haven't made time for any new projects!


Our backyard. It's my favorite place to be in the mild months. This swing was handed down from my parents and I LOVE sitting here to watch the kids play. Just the other night, they were running through the yard, arms stretched high, screaming while they chased "light up bugs." I was talking with my mom and stopped her mid conversation to tell her exactly what I was watching. I was overwhelmed. God is SO good!

You can see the back of the stone fireplace that Big Daddy built...with a little help from the neighbor Handy Manny!

The pondless waterfall built by....you guessed it....Big Daddy and Handy Manny!!! (His real name is Tony in case you were wondering!)

So there you have it. Our humble abode. Why am I feeling all nostalgic? Well, it seems as though someone else likes it almost as much as we do and offered to pay ALMOST the full asking price for it. I hope that when they move in on August 7th, that they make as many wonderful memories as we have. This home will always have a special place in our history, but it's time to move on. I think I will be a little sad to leave, but I KNOW...home is where my heart is. My heart is with my husband and children.